Nioki



(No Model.)

3 SheetsSheet 1. W. RUDNIOKI.

SNOW GUARD.

Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W'. RUDNICKI.

SNOW GUARD.

WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY! W. RUDNIOKI No. 361,783. Patented A r. 26, 1887.

/ Ill]! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVLADYSLAXV RUDN IOKI, OF \VARSAWV, RUSSIA.

SNOW-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,783, dated April26, 1887.

Application filed November 30, 1886.

Serial No. 229,248. (No niodcl.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WLAnYsLAw RUD- NIOKI, a subject of the Emperor ofRussia, re siding at the city of \Varsaw, in the Kingdom of Poland,Empire of Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSnow- Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the guardsplaced adjacent and along railway-tracks at cuts, &c., for theprevention of accumulation of snow in said cuts, 8201 The inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement of the guards, as will befully described and set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view showingthe effect of the wind. Figs-2 is a cross-sectional view of a cut and asnow-guard of the construction used heretofore. Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan view of a part of my improved snow-guard. Fig. 4 is across-sectional view on the line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is across-sectional view on the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan View ofthe snow-guard made of earth-work orstone. Fig. 7 is a crosssectionalview on the line 20 w, Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a sectional view on the line 1;0, Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Recent experiments and observations disclose the fact that all windsnear the surface of the earth blow in a direction at an inclination tothe surface, and thus give a serpentine or wavy movement to the layersof air directly above the surface, and that the snow raised from thesurface of the earth by the wind is lifted quite a distance, and thengradually released and moved forward in a direction at an inclination tothe surface.

The snow-guards used heretofore usually consisted of upright fences orguards along the tracks, which have the effect of checking the movementof the lower layers of air, so that the air beyond the said guard had nomovement and dropped the snow which it held in' suspension into thecuts, just where the depositing of such snow was to be prevented. Partof the snow that is dropped to the earth is raised by the action of themoving air, and

mixes with the snow dropping from the clouds, and with the same is movedforward by the action of the wind. When the lifting power of the wind isdecreased, the snow is dropped u M N, the line h gf e d c b a representsthe currents of air next to the surface of the earth. The descendingparts of the curve assist the depositing or separation of the snow fromthe air, whereas the ascending parts tend to prevent such separation.lfa fence, wall, or other vertical obstruction, mn, is provided, thesame retards or destroys entirely the speed of the waves, and thus acertain quantity of snow is released and deposited directly behind saidfence. Some distance behind said fence the waves of air have their fullpower, and less snow is deposited than directly at the fence.

As shown in Fig. 2, B represents a cut, and m of a fence or obstructionat the top of the same, and v a a fence or obstruction some distancebelow the top of the cutting. M N represent the direction of the wind,and M N the direction of the wave. The Wavy currents of air lift acertain quantity ofsnow, and arriving at the fence or obstruction in afully charged with snow, they are suddenly checked, and as there is nomovement of the air beyond the fence the snow is dropped, as at A, inthe out. It is thus evident that in all cases the ordinary snow-guardsare defective, and, in place of preventing the depositing of snow,assist the same.

So as not to destroy the lifting or carrying power of the lower strataof air, I make my snow-guard. in the form'of truncated pyramids havingtriangular ground plan, and arrange a series of the same in line,whereby a series of funnel-shaped or V-shaped openings are formed,through which the powerful currents of air can pass, thus preventing acalm behind the snow-.guard-that is, the lifting power of the air is notdecreased by the guard. The inclined sides of the pyramids change thedirection'of the movement ofsome of the lower strata of air, so that thesnow they hold is carried upward and over the tracks or out. My improvedguards cause the wind to lift and raise the snow from the track andcarry it off with the snow held in suspense by the air.

My improved snow-guards are constructed in the following manner:Parallel with the line to be protected, the points A B O D E F arestaked off, about in the manner sh own in Fig. 3, the parts A B O D E Fbeing the bases of equilateral triangles, the apices of which are at n1H Taking the right-hand basetriangle, Fig. 3, stakes are driven intothe ground at s it at an angle of forty-five degrees to the interior ofthe structure, and at h i stakes are driven into the ground at aninclination of about sixty degrees to theinterior of the structure. Atw" and '1 I erect vertical posts, all the above-mentioned parts beingsuitably braced and united by transverse top beams, as shown in dottedlines in the right-hand triangle of Fig. 3.

Planks are then nailed on the posts at E, 8

a i and F to form the side of the pyramid, and boards are nailed on thetop to form an inclined roof, as shown in Fig. 5. Preferably the bottomplank does not extend to the surface of the earth, but is a shortdistance above the same to prevent rotting. If desired, the roof, whichshould be at an angle of about fifty degrees, may be omitted, as shownin Fig. 4.; but I prefer the construction of the roof, as the same tendsto deflect the current and throw the air upward, which greatlyfacilitates the carrying the snow over the cut or track. As shown inFigs. 6, 7, and 8,thesnow-guards may also be constructed of earth-work.The line A Q is laid out in the manner previously set forth, to form thebases for three triangles. The guards are then made of earth work orstone, as may be desired, the rear side having a greater or less bevel,as the nature of the material will allow, the front being beveled toabout forty-five degrees to a certain height, and then beveled at aboutfifty degrees, as shown in Fig. 8, to form the top. The sides of thetruncated pyramids are preferably rounded,as indicated by the curvedlines in Fig. 6. The bases of the rear bevels of the truncated pyramidsare on the line A Q, Fig. 6. In this case, also, funnel-shaped spacesare formed between the several truncated pyramids, which cause the windto act in the manner as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A snow-guard for railways, cuts, roads, 850.,consisting of a series of truncated pyramids having triangular bases,the apices of the triangular bases being located farthest from theroad,substantially as shown and described.

2. A snow-guard for railways, cuts, roads, &c., consisting of a seriesof truncated pyramids having triangular bases arranged in line along theroad, said pyramids being separated a short distance from each other,substantially as shown and described.

3. A snow-guard for railways, cuts, roads,

&c., consisting of a series of truncated pyramids having triangularbases, the apices of the triangles being farthest from the road, the twosides of the truncated pyramids not facing the road being beveled towardthe center of the pyramid at an angle of about forty-five degrees,substantially as shown and described.

4. A snow-guard for railways, cuts, roads, 850., consisting of a seriesof truncated cones having triangular bases, the apices of the trianglesbeing farthest from the road, the two sides of thetruncated pyramids notfacing the road being beveled toward the center of the pyramid at anangle of about forty-five degrees, and the truncated top of the pyramidbeing inclined in a direction from the apex toward the road upward at aninclination of about fifty degrees, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

I WLADYSLAW RUDNICKI.

Vitnesses:

GERARD voN NAWROOKI, B. R01.

